FAQ's

Victoria Region FAQs

Victoria Region Frequently Asked Questions

How long has Audax Victoria been around and how did it start?

Audax Australia was formed in 1981 by Russell Moore (located in Sydney) and Alan Walker (located in Melbourne). Initially there were no state or regional groups but the club soon began to revolve around ride organisers who organised rides near their homes. Consequently for a number of years Audax comprised a National Committee who were responsible for handling brevet cards and small Regional Committees or individuals who organised rides in their local areas. Dave Minter has written a short history of Audaxand two articles The Early Days of Audax by Russell Moore and Completing the Circle by Alan Walker appeared in Checkpoint 20, winter 2004. Audax in Victoria and New South Wales started around this time.

Who started Audax Victoria?

From the start of Audax Australia Victoria was represented by Alan Walker, one of the founders. In Victoria there were a number of local committees in Melbourne, Geelong, Maryborough, Bendigo, Warragul, Swan Hill and South-West. In the 2004 Peter Curtis proposed that the Melbourne Region became Victoria Region. This proposal was accepted and the remaining Victorian regional committees were encouraged to amalgamate.

Who do I contact to volunteer on a Victorian ride?

If you wish to help out on a ride contact the ride organiser of that ride. Occasionally there will be an email to the Audax Chat List asking for volunteers to help out on a particular ride.

If I volunteer to support a ride in Victoria what do I get?

Aside from personal satisfaction and a warm feeling inside, your reward will depend on the ride and the organiser. Ride vouchers are given to the ride organiser and any volunteers they nominate. The voucher covers the cost of basic entry fee for both supported and unsupported rides to 600kms. Petrol and accommodation costs of volunteers where incurred in the running of the ride should be reimbursed by the organiser who can then claim those costs from the organiser expenses.

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What is this medal that Audax Victoria has won in the past from Audax Club Parisien (ACP)? Where is it kept and what does it mean?

The award is given to the Audax club that obtains the highest number of successful Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRM) based on a point system. A BRM is awarded on completion of a ride of 200km or more. The various Australian regions are categorised as clubs by ACP). Although Australia, and Victoria Region in particular are very active, it is mainly due to the high participation level of the Alpine Classic that we do so well. To qualify the club has to organise an event of each distance. In at least one instance Victoria was not eligible because it did not hold a 1200 even though it obtained more points than any other club. This article and tables on the ACP site provide some insight into the activity of the various Audax clubs worldwide.

What is a permanent - where can I find a list of permanents in Victoria?

A permanent is an Audax ride that you can do at your convenience. They are intended for experienced randonneurs and only Audax Australia members can enter. All that is required is that you contact the ride organiser to organise your brevet card, start date and time and to obtain the route details. More information, rules and the rides can be readhere.

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How often are 1200km rides held in Victoria?

The number of 1200km rides held in Victoria varies from year to year. We are a club run by volunteers, so whether any rides are held in the state depends on the willingness of Ride Organisers and their helpers. Normally at least one long (1000km, 1200km) ride will appear on theCalendar each year.

What are the major milestones in the Victoria Region history?

The first Alpine Classic as advertised in the summer 1985-86 edition ofThe Journal - Saturday 25th January[1986] 200km. Try your hand at Grimpeur and Randonneur with this event toimmortalise the Australia Day weekend. Starts at Bright at 08h00 and exploresthe “Alps” in two 100m loops. Very limited support, Organiser: Tony Bolduan

The first Australian FOADT started at 2pm on Saturday 19th October 1985 andfinished 24 hours later at the World Trade Centre which was hosting the BikeExpo. Eleven teams were successful in completing their rides.

Sue Taylor becoming first female President of Vic Region in 1992

Great Southern Randonnée, first held in 1998.

The name of Melbourne Region was changed to Victoria Region by vote atan Extraordinary General Meeting 15th August 2004.

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What kind of rides do we hold in Victoria?

Audax rides are long distance rides ranging from 50km to 1200km the aim is to complete the ride within the specified time rather than finish first. Audaxrides are described here.

In Victoria ride organisers run a variety of rides, in general the shorter rides, 50km, 100km, 150km, 200km are run most frequently but in any Audax Year it is possible to find longer rides on theCalendar.

The rides may be supported, unsupported or a mixture, a supported ride means that the check points will be run by the ride organising team, unsupported means that the check points will be in towns or service stations.

In recent years there have been a number of mixed-terrain rides on the Victorian Calendar. A mixed terrain ride is one which covers a mixture of sealed and unsealed roads. Occasionally there will be dirt rides available, these are on unsealed roads and tracks.

This page contains links to ride rules and forms as well as general club information

How can I be involved in the Victorian Region if I don't live in Melbourne?

Write articles for Checkpoint.

Become the Brevet Editor for Checkpoint, currently held by Rodney Kruzfrom Cobram on the Murray.

Run a ride in your local area, an Audax ride is a great excuse forriders to visit regional Victoria.

Join the Victorian Region committee any committee position can becarried out from anywhere in the state.

Respond to call outs in the Victorian Newsletter.

I want to learn how to run a ride, what should I do?

The first step would be to volunteer on some rides to see what the organiser does and how they do it. Contact a ride organiser to offer your services and explain what you would like to get out of the experience. On the Rides and Forms pages of the website you will find useful resources as well as the Ride Organiser Guidelines.

For a ride to be included in the calendar for the next Audax year the ride must be submitted to the State Calendar Coordinator in the period June – August of the current Audax year. If you wish to float an idea for a ride by all means contact the Calendar Coordinator at any time. For your first ride it is always good to offer one or two distances only to simplify things for yourself. If possible work with someone who is an experienced organiser. If you do not know one in your area, then the Calendar Coordinator may be able to put you in contact with someone willing to help.

Your ride may be supported (checkpoints manned by you and your helpers) or unsupported. If there are towns or shops 50 or so km apart an unsupported ride is feasible. If it is somewhat more than 50 or so km between lattes then a ride with supported checkpoints may be a better option. Other things to consider, will there be any night riding, is there adequate car parking at the start, what time to start and therefore finish, what time of year is best suited to the ride.

All records for rides are now submitted electronically, and very quickly and easily done. If you have a favourite ride why not show if off and share it by adding it to the calendar? Organising rides is a very satisfying experience, and a wide and varied calendar is the foundation of our club

Raids allow more time than normal brevets, tend to run over a number of days and can be thought of as a cycling holiday rather than an Audax ride with daily distances averaging around 80km. Further information, ride routes and rules can be foundhere. Accounts in Checkpoint include:

A training ride does not allow the rider to earn a brevet, nor is it likely to be one of the standard Audax ride lengths. Rather it is more of a social ride probably to a pleasant coffee destination and likely to be run each week at a set time. The riders are expected to support each other and stay together in the event of puncture, fatigue or other difficulty. In Victoria Keith Lowe runs a training ride every Wednesday morning, for further details see theCalendar.

The rides are free for Audax members and CA (Licenced Racers) but non-members are expected to pay $10 (per ride) for temporary membership.

What is the Fleche Opperman All Day Trial (FOADT)?

The FOADT or Oppy is a ride that is carried out by a team of riders over 24 hours during which they must stay together and ride more than 360km. All the teams within a Region will finish at the same spot at around the same time. In Victoria the ride usually finishes in Rochester the birthplace of Sir Hubert Opperman. This Checkpoint article provides some historical information. Further information including a link to the rules can be found here. There is no restriction on ride routes as long as the route is a tour, so it would be possible to ride from one state to another if the team so wished.

What is the Petit Oppy?

The Petit (small) Oppy is a similar ride to the FOADT but shorter 180km in 14 hours of riding. It is run on the same day and finishes in the same spot at the same time.

Fleche Opperman FAQ’s

Does it matter if I start in one state and finish in another? Is there any altitude restriction?No, you can start wherever you like and climb or descend as much as you like.

Are we allowed to submit more than one route 14 days prior for your approval, thus giving an opportunity to change our minds based on the weather?Not really, you can only submit one route for the event. You can plan more routes but you only submit one. Bad weather makes it more interesting and challenging, embrace it!

Are we allowed to have some sort of support van tagging along behind us which can leap-frog ahead to do food and drink drops?Support crews can only provide support at the designated checkpoints nominated in your route notes no other support is allowed.